jacque cartier, in the 1530s, will be sailing here in the north. what cartier, and what cabot are looking for is once the europeans understand that there's something here called north america, what they really want then is what do you think? once they find -- they want a way through it. because they are still fixated on getting to the east. so jacque cartier and john cabot are looking for a water route, a water route that can get them through this. they do this as an obstacle. they are looking for a water route through north america that can get them to the pacific. is there one, by the way? >> northwest passage. >> there is a water route. you can go from the atlantic to the pacific by water. it's the arctic route. called the northwest passage. which explorers will look for in the 18th and 19th and today in the 20th century. just as a footnote, this today, northwest passage, is becoming perhaps more practical. as long as it was ice covered and only open for limited season it wasn't practical. but what's working to make it more practical today? glob